Kingston, who opposes the federal school lunch program, drew widespread criticism last month when he suggested children clean school cafeterias or sweep up in exchange for their meals.

“But one of the things I’ve talked to the secretary of agriculture about (is), why don’t you have the kids pay a dime, pay a nickel to instill in them that there is, in fact, no such thing as a free lunch?” Kingston said. “Or maybe sweep the floor of the cafeteria — and yes, I understand that that would be an administrative problem, and I understand that it would probably lose you money, but think what we would gain as a society in getting people — getting the myth out of their head that there is such a thing as a free lunch.”

That’s a lesson that Kingston apparently hasn’t learned himself.

In addition to his own taxpayer-funded meals, the station reported, the congressman also received $4,289 in free meals billed to third-party groups such as the Georgia Bankers Association and the Congressional Institute.

WSAV reported that Kingston traveled abroad on congressional business at a taxpayer cost of $24,313, which includes more than just meals, and filed expense reports for $145,391 in meals for campaign events.